Registry fight to return

With the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of a federal ban on same-sex marriages, Florida lawmakers say they will renew their uphill fight to provide more legal protections for gay and lesbian Floridians.

A few months before the landmark court ruling, the Florida Legislature reached its own historic milestone when a legislative committee — for the first time — backed a bill recognizing same-sex relationships.

The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee voted 5-4 for legislation, called the “Families First Act,” creating a statewide domestic partnership registry that could extend some legal protections to same-sex couples. Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, played a key role in advancing the bill, joining four Democrats in support of the legislation.

But the bill stalled at its next stop in the Senate Judiciary Committee. A companion measure was never heard in the House.

Following the Supreme Court decision, Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, who has been trying win approval for the domestic partnership legislation for the last five years, said she is ready to refile the measure for the 2014 session, which begins next March.

The bill creates a domestic partnership registry — which would be open to opposite-sex as well as same-sex couples — and protects the right of registered couples to visit their partners in hospitals, nursing homes, correctional facilities and mental health facilities. The partners would also have the right to be notified in the case of emergencies and in cases where no will existed they would have the authority to deal with the remains of their partner.

“We must end the constitutional ban against same-sex marriage in Florida,” Sobel said after the new ruling. “We made history in the Florida Senate this past session and will continue our public dialogue.”

Sobel said she would like to see a statewide domestic registry law to replace the “patchwork” of local registry laws — including Sarasota and Venice — that already cover more than 9 million Floridians in 32 cities and counties.

In the House, Rep. Joe Saunders, D-Orlando, one of the state’s first openly gay lawmakers, is also poised to refile his bill aimed at preventing discrimination against Floridians in employment and housing based on their sexual orientation.

Although the bill was never heard in a House committee, Saunders said it represented another “first” in that it drew bipartisan sponsorship in the 2013 session, including from Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota.

He also noted a University of Florida poll on the issue showed 75 percent of Floridians believe there should be a law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Yet, despite that, Saunders said the bill never came up in a committee. “Right now in Tallahassee we can’t even have this debate about these protections,” he said.

Saunders said if that resistance continues, it could have economic consequences for the state with gay and lesbian Floridians opting to live elsewhere in a less hostile environment.

“That’s an economic problem that we have to address,” he said.

WINNER OF THE WEEK: Same-sex marriage supporters. The U.S. Supreme Court decision to reject a federal law banning same-sex marriages was hailed by gay rights advocates. But the ruling left intact Florida’s constitutional ban on same-sex unions.

LOSER OF THE WEEK: Civil rights advocates. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a provision that allowed the federal government to review changes in voting laws in states that had a history of racial discrimination. In Florida, it impacted five counties that had been under the review. Voting rights groups said the decision could weaken the enforcement of voting laws, while others praised the fact that it returns more authority to the states.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I’ve been married since I was 19. I believe in traditional marriage,” said Gov. Rick Scott, explaining the U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriages will not impact Florida’s constitutional ban against those unions.

Lloyd Dunkelberger

Lloyd Dunkelberger is the Htpolitics.com Capital Bureau Chief.
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Last modified: June 28, 2013
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